Managers' poll picks Lakers to defend championship

Los Angeles - The Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will again take home the important hardware for the 2009-10 season, if a survey of NBA general managers proves accurate. The Lakers, who defeated the Orlando Magic for the NBA title last spring, were given 60.7 per cent of the votes to defend the crown for the seventh time in their storied history, according to a poll of top league executives participating in the eighth annual survey released Tuesday on the league's website. The Boston Celtics and Cavaliers were runners-up to dethrone the Lakers, each garnering 17.9 per cent of the votes. Asked which team would win the Eastern Conference crown, the Celtics received 50 per cent to 42.9 per cent for the Cavaliers, even after acquiring sure-shot Hall of Fame centre Shaquille O'Neal to play alongside James in Cleveland. While expected to chase the elusive championship ring again, 'King James' - with 69 per cent of the votes to 17.2 per cent for Lakers star Kobe Bryant and 6.9 per cent for Orlando's muscleman Dwight Howard - was the overwhelming favourite to repeat as the league's Most Valuable Player. James also won 79 per cent of the vote, far outdistancing Howard (14.3 per cent) as the player general managers would want if starting a team today. Top draft pick Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers received 79 per cent of the votes to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks was chosen by 64.3 per cent of the general managers as the best international player in the NBA. Spain's Pau Gasol of the Lakers finished second, with 10.7 per cent of the voting. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder received 25.9 per cent of the votes, when asked by general managers which player is likely to have a breakout season. Spain's Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers with 22.2 per cent of the votes was the top choice as the foreign player most likely to have a career year. Italy's Danilo Gallinari of the New York Knicks finished runner-up with 14.8 per cent. Spain's Ricky Rubio, the top draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves who decided to play another year in his home country, picked up 50 per cent of the votes as the best foreign player outside the NBA. Rubio's compatriot, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Brazil's Tiago Splitter each finished second with 15.4 per cent of the votes.